The Futile, Costly Élan Of The Liberal Class In Attacking Trump
In WW I the French generals had a single answer for how to defeat the German. “Élan vital,” said General Joffre. Meaning, roughly, the fighting spirit and Christian character of his men marching slowly against German machine guns and cannons would win the day. This mystical cran, élan et la bayonette was assumed to be instilled within every Frenchman along with his mother’s milk.
Even as the bodies piled up in their hundreds of thousands, the French high command still believed its purity and will would vanquish the enemy. There was no change in tactics for several years, till the army mutinied. The leadership of the French army would not learn from their mistakes, kept repeating them and caused the death of over six million of their countrymen in senseless bayonet charges over open ground.
The pointless repetition of folly is now known as the hole theory. When you’re buried in a hole, stop digging.
This simple stratagem is clearly been lost on the Democrat party, its media wind therapists and its allies in the globalist movement. Since the appearance of Donald Trump (his German ancestors called themselves Trumpf), the entrenched generals of moral recititude have convinced themselves that one good attack of their élan vital would send Trump into retreat and humiliation.
And if that didn’t work, try the same thing dozens of times because, by golly, we’re special, we’re the chosen ones and you must— must— accept this.
Here’s what happened.
- When Trump insulted the sainted John McCain over his captivity by the North Vietnamese, the eager folks at the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC and all the major TV networks (save FOX) declared Trump’s presidential hopes over. You can’t insult John McCain! Result: His brutal putdown of the 2008 GOP presidential nominee exposed the soft underbelly of the Republican Party. In short order, Trump crushed the deferential GOP pretenders, winning the nomination over 16 opponents.
2) Deciding the whole thing had to be a GOP jest, the generals of the liberal class hit Trump with the Access Hollywood tape, which had been cleverly hidden away for just such an occasion. Not only liberals but many conservatives declared Trump dead when they heard his ribald talk about pussys and pliant women. Days later Hillary Clinton spat venom in the debate. Result: The frontal assault only reinforced Trump’s message to his base about the DC crowd’s hatred for average Americans. Trump remained in the race and his polls grew.
3) In the days leading up to November 8, 20016, the Washington circle jerk began telling voters that resistance is futile. The polls showed Trump has no chance to win, they gloated. Your vote is pointless, they said. Stay home. Better yet, vote Hillary and she might let you keep your guns for good behaviour. Result: Trump crushes Clinton in the electoral College, denying Clinton the honour of being the first woman president.
4) Stunned but no wiser, the establishments of both the Democrat and Republican parties hatch a new assault with the bayonet. This time they will claim Trump conspired with the Russians to win the election. A sleazy dossier full of “salacious and unverified” rumours purchased from Russia by the Democrats and Clinton is produced to justify spying on Trump’s motley administration. Enlisting the FBI director James Comey, the dossier is leaked to eager media pals. This time, says CNN, it’s got to work. Result: The plot is uncovered by loyal GOP in Congress. The entire leadership of the FBI is either fired or quits before being fired.
5) Even though their furious élan vital on Russia is unravelling in plain sight, exposing the compliance of the U.S. intelligence and state departments, the general staff of the Never Trump/ DC Swamp decides on another full-frontal charge. Putin conspiracies are shelved in favour of a new, more powerful weapon— the porn-star Stormy Daniels cannon. Breathless media line up to hear how she was paid off for sexual favours by Trump’s oleaginous lawyer Michael Cohen. It’s rumoured the Russians have channelled money to Cohen (albeit long past the election time when it might have tipped the decision). Hours are spent with her ambulance-chaser lawyer, who has the nasty habit of getting different Michael Cohens—including a Canadian— mixed up in his breathless reportage to Jake Tapper & Rachel Maddow. Result: Trump’s polls soar to their highest point since the election, and the Dems generic congressional advantage goes poof.
6) With the reputations of colleagues strewn across a landscape of debunked stories and exaggerated claims it is decided to once more attack the centre of Donald’s line. This time, it is the Obama Gospel Choir singing a song of disaster, atomic war and destitution over Trump’s bullish tactics with the North Koreans and Iranians. In a futile bid to preserve the last shred of POTUS 44’s meagre legacy, Obama himself leads the charge, predicting the end of the earth because Trump is being too harsh with dangerous foes. Result: North Korea sues for peace, the Iranian mullahs see their hold on the nation imperilled by more sanctions, and Trump is nominated for the same Nobel Peace Prize that Obama won for apologizing to anyone who could fog a mirror in 2009.
While Trump is still capable of a fatal mistake, this unflinching resolve of his opponents’ to keep trying the same part of his defences serves only Trump. With so many supposed targets to aim for, the Hollywood holy-of-holies persist in angering his base with their SNL skits and late-night lecturers, assuming ever more left positions and trying to intimidate the doubters.
Or just getting stories wrong about freeing the NoKo hostages. “New York Times slams AWOL Pompeo, then learns he was rescuing Americans." Each of these humiliations brings added resolve that, with just a little more élan and righteous wrath, the SJW class will finally convince mainstream America that the coastal élites know what’s best for their countrymen.
Trump, meanwhile, survives and thrives by observing the maxim of another famous French general. “Never get in the way of your enemy while he is making a fatal mistake,” said Napoléon.
Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy.is the host of the podcast The Full Count with Bruce Dowbiggin on his website is Not The Public Broadcaster (http://www.notthepublicbroadcaster.com). He’s also a regular contributor to Sirius XM Canada Talks Ch. 167. A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada's top television sports broadcaster, he is also the best-selling author whose new book Cap In Hand will be available this fall.